Improvement in preparing short-staple fibers from hemp, flax



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFrcE.

JIM B. FULLER AND JAMES P. UPHAM, QF CLAREMONT, NE 7 HAMPSHIIREIMPROVEMENT IN PREPARING SHORT-STAPLE FlBERS FROM HEMP, FLAX, dc.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43,015, dated June 7,1864.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, JIM B. FULLER and JAMEs P. UPUAM, both ofClaremont, in the county of Sullivan and State of New Hampshire, ha-veinvented a new and useful method of preparing iiaX, hemp, and othersimilar substances for cottonizing 7 or rendering applicable tomanufacture into textile fabrics on short-staple machinery 5 and we. dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eX act descriptionof the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, makingpart of this specification, wherein we have represented a verticalsection of an apparatus in and by which our method may be performed.

Hcretofore in the preparation of flax, hemp,

dre., for fibrous and textile purposes, the

that when flax, hemp, or other similar substances are boiled with waterin a close vessel under a high temperature and pressure, the gummy andcoloring matter contained in such substancesis dissolved or softened sothat it can be easily pressed out from the fiber it' pressed while insuch heated and softened condition, and that when alkaline solutions areused instead of clear water, such heat and pressure accelerate thesoftening or dissolving of the gummy matter, and that ifsufcientalkalies are used the softening or dissolving of the gummymatter can be eifected by boiling at atmospheric pressure.

The nature of our invention consists in preparing the bers of dax, hemp,and other similar substances for manufacture into shortstapled textilefabrics by subjecting them,

ber in a compact mass, still in theheatingvessel.

It also consists inthe peculiar manner of washing the ber while in thevessel in which it has been boiled.

rlhe apparatus in and by which our invention is performed may be. ofvarious constructions, but the one herein described we consider the bestadapted to the purpose.

A is a curing-vessel of cylindrical form and of suitablesize andstrength.

B is a bonnet or cover bolted to the top of A.

C is a piston or follower perforated with severall holes, c c c c.

D is a piston-rod, one end of which is secured to the piston O, and theother end passing through a stuftingbox in the center of B. f E is anaperture in the bottom ot' A,through which steam from a boiler isadmitted to A.

E is an aperture through which the'water rIhe operation of the apparatusthus far described is as follows: The material to Vbe treated is placedin the cylinder A, through the man-hole G, and the man-hole plate G' issecured in its place. The piston or follower being at the bottom, wateror other liquid used is admitted through 'the aperture F into thecylinder A until the mass has become sat-4 urated. Steam from a boileris then admitted through the aperture E into the bottom of A, raisingthe temperature and pressure necessary to dissolve or soften the gummymatter contain( d in the brous material.

It may here be stated that the time required to boil, and thetemperature and consequent pressure, is determined by the nature ofthematerial under treatment. When hemp or dax `is perfectly ripe,weconsider it better to boil it at a temperature of about 27 50Fahrenheit, but if the material is not ripe it can be boiled with a weaksolution of soda-ash or caustic soda, at atmospheric pressure and 212Otemperature.

After the material has been boiled until the gummy and coloring matteris dissolved, the steam and Water pipes are closed, and the piston orfollower C is raised by any mechanical device applied to the piston-rodD. This causes the liquids contained in thecuringvessel A to pass downthrough the holes c c c c in piston C into the lower part of thecuringvessel A, While the fiber is at the top of the 'curing-vessel in asolid compact mass. The

liquid and gummy'matter is then drawn from the curing-vessel Athroughthe aperture E.

ln order to wash the material, the piston C is again lowered and theaperture Fis opened, which admits fresh water into the top of the curi11g-vessel A. rlhe aperture F is thenelosed and the piston C` is againdrawn up as before. This operation forces the Water through the materialunder treatment and through the piston into the bottom of thecuringvessel, whence it can be drawn ott'at the aperture E. This Washingoperation can be repeated until the tiberis perfectly clean. Itis thentaken out ofthe curing-vessel A, through the manhole G, when it is readyto dry and piek, card, and spin on short-staple machinery.

le do not claim, broadly, boiling fibrous materials in water or otherliquids either with or without pressure, in an open or closed vessel;neither do we claim pressing the gummy and coloring matter out of thefibrous ina-ss by means ot" a piston-plungeror follower.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

l. Preparing the fibers ol axrhxmp, and other similar substances forUottonizing, or rendering applicable to short-staple textile fabrics, bysubjecting such substances, While in the vessel in which they wereboiled or cured With Water or other liquids used for softening ordissolving the gummy and coloring matter contained in such substances,to

the action of a piston, plunger, or follower, or

equivalent device, so arranged as to press the fiber into a solidcompact mass in one part of the curngvessel, at the same time pressingout of the mass all or nearly all the dissolved gumlny and coloringmatter While such gumrny and coloring matter is ina dissolved orsoftened condition, so that it can be readily drawn oil", while the beris contained in the curing-vessel, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

2. lWashing the cured tiberby the combined action ot' the piston C, orits equivalent, and of Water, in the manner substantially as specified,and for the purposes set forth.

Claremont, New Hampshire, March 2, 1864,

JI B. FULLER, JAMES I). UDHAM.

Witnesses C. S. PARKIYIURs'r, JOHN M. MILTON.

